Krafton Acquires Controlling Stake in Real Cricket Developer Nautilus Mobile for Rs. 118 Crore

PUBG: Battlegrounds maker Krafton has acquired Pune-based developer Nautilus Mobile for Rs. 118 crore, the company announced Friday. Nautilus is known for its Real Cricket franchise and represents Krafton's first acquisition deal in India. The development comes after the South Korean firm made a strategic investment of Rs. 40.5 crore in Nautilus in 2022.

Krafton Acquires Nautilus

Krafton now has a controlling stake in the Indian developer, taking over from JetSynthesys, which acquired a 100 percent stake in Nautilus Mobile in 2020. JetSynthesys will, however, remain as a significant minority investor in Nautilus following Krafton's takeover. The company will continue to work with the studio on “strategically important areas, especially in Esports,” Nautilus said in a press release.

“This acquisition is a testament to our long-term vision of making India a global hub for game development. We are excited to deepen this partnership and work together to create world-class gaming experiences that resonate with Indian and global players,” Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn said.

Nautilus CEO Anuj Mankar said the team was “thrilled” to join Krafton and embark on its “next phase.”

“This partnership will allow us to push the boundaries of innovation and expand our reach, while continuing to deliver engaging and high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” he added.

Mankar said Krafton's expertise and strong industry network would help the Real Cricket franchise to find a global audience and explore new opportunities in the mobile gaming space.

Krafton's Battlegrounds Mobile India, popularly known as BGMI, a version of PUBG Mobile available in India, is one of the most popular mobile games in the country with over 200 million downloads. Nautilus Mobile is behind the Real Cricket sports sim franchise, which includes popular entries like Real Cricket 24 and Real Cricket 22.